Political Quotes

“Most Americans do not realize that 28 percent of the land across our great country is owned by the Federal Government. In the 11 most western States, the Federal Government owns a staggering 47 percent of all land. In my State of Colorado, the Federal Government owns 36 percent of the land. Over one-third of all land in Colorado is owned and operated here, out of Washington, D.C. The management of these lands is often controversial, particularly when the Federal Government owns such a significant portion of the land of a State or of a locality. There are often situations where there are competing and conflicting uses of this publicly-owned land. This Federal ownership of public land is administered through a variety of Federal agencies and bureaus, making things potentially even more difficult for States and localities. This public land serves many functions, including, in some cases, as a prime training ground for the U.S. military. In Colorado, for example, the new Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Carson flies their helicopters up into the mountains around Colorado Springs for training. To practice high altitude landings in rugged terrain, which is a crucial skill for combat in countries like Afghanistan, the Army must get permission from the various parts of the Federal Government that own the land. Over the last few years, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies have reduced the number of landing sites that are permissible.…”